Turning plywood?

[John K Jordan]

Has anyone every turned something like this?
Perhaps an interesting idea. 16" diameter, 11/16" thick.

I didn't make this - my wife bought it at a crafts fair long ago. I thought it looked interesting. It's made from 13 thin layers with dark red/brown glue between, alternating grain direction on the layers, turned and probably sanded to reveal patterns in the wood and glue. I haven't seen plywood, even baltic birch with glue like that so maybe the turner glued-up a stack of layers. (Is marked "W Schwab" on the bottom.)



Makes an unusual and quite functional serving platter!

JKJ

 

[Bill Alston]

Nothing like that but I’ve turned a couple of bowls from plywood. The best stuff to use over here is Baltic Birch Ply if you can get it.
The glue line is quite abrasive so I, and some others, have found it best to do the initial turning with carbide then finish off with conventional HSS tools. You can of course do all of it with HSS but you’ll be backwards and forwards to the grinder a few times to put an edge back on your tools.

 

[Mark Jundanian]

JKJ, you might find Spectraply interesting.

 

[stu senator]

It can be interesting. This was a temporary spacer out of construction grade plywood. When finished with the other job I wanted to see if it turned. It was hell on tools, this was before widespread use of carbides in woodturning. The gaps or holes were filled with Bondo of automotive fame as the color was good.

 

[Steve Tiedman]

Yes, once in 2003, never again. A double lamination of 1-3/4" thick structral laminated veneer lumber (LVL), so it is all softwood species. Probably finished with homemade danish finish. Terrible to prep, horrible to turn. It doesn't seem to let you stop turning. At some point you need to just set down the tools and start with 60 grit sandpaper. Final size- 9" x 2-5/8" outside. It now serves as the household key dish.

 

[Phil Hamel]

1st bowl and maybe my 4th or 5th project ever was from 3/4 plywood I had left over from a cabinet job.

 

[Brian Gustin]

Has anyone every turned something like this?

Makes an unusual and quite functional serving platter!

JKJ

Ive done a little bit of plywood, then discovered spectraply https://www.cwp-usa.com/collections/spectraply-blanks can make some pretty stuff from it - Im all out of blanks so I might get me some more (the small boxes I made from it were hot sellers last year..) except the stuff has gotten pretty pricey...

 

[Bob Sheppard]

I turned two LVL bowls, probably a few years earlier than you. Like you say- it's a miserable material to turn. The glue in them strips the edge right off a gouge. IF I ever want to turn some again, I'd probably use my EasyWood carbide tools. But there so much nicer stuff to turn, so I doubt I'll ever turn LVL again.

 

[Darryl Fective]

I just saw this post and walked over to our table about 20' away...

I did one of my first pepper mills with it. It's sort of slow, hot, and dusty, (I prefer turning green wood) but the results are worth it.

 

[John K Jordan]

JKJ, you might find Spectraply interesting.

I have a good supply of Spectraply of different colors (and used Dymondwood before the factory burned down) but haven’t found it in large pieces.

I sometimes make small things from Spectraply blanks cut at an angle from 2x2 and 3x3 blocks. Interesting patterns.
I have made things from Baltic Birch, available in 5’x5’ pieces at local suppliers who cater to cabinet makers. I buy it in 1/2" and 3/4" thicknesses. The platter I showed does not appear to be from Baltic Birch.

Here's a couple of wands from Dymondwood; I made a couple of the finger tops from Spectraply.



JKJ

 

[Paul Vechart]

Baltic birch plywood, known for its high quality and stability, is primarily manufactured in the Baltic region of northeastern Europe, specifically in countries like Finland, Russia, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.

 

[Tim Hunter]

That tray is just veneer-core plywood, not a specific lamination. The dark glue is likley a water-proof formulation (marine). Regarding other items of plywood, I turned a couple of lamps from BB and Walnut about 45 years ago...I'll add some pictures later.

Tim

 

[Richard Coers]

That tray is just veneer-core plywood, not a specific lamination. The dark glue is likley a water-proof formulation (marine). Regarding other items of plywood, I turned a couple of lamps from BB and Walnut about 45 years ago...I'll add some pictures later.

Tim

Marine or old formaldehyde based glue.

 

[Bill Alston]

Baltic Birch. The first layer cut at an angle for mounting, to produce a more interesting effect.

 

[BobCoates]

Here are some turned from recycled cabinets, as seen on some you can get tear out, but some like the multi-color of the face grain. The one with flowers was turned from custom cabinet shop scraps.

 

[Russ Braun]

I got three pieces of 1” Baltic Birch for a project. It was loaded on my truck…had to cut it “on” my truck to unload it…that stuff is heavy….an important factor to keep in mind when designing your project, lol!!

 

[John K Jordan]

Baltic Birch. The first layer cut at an angle for mounting, to produce a more interesting effect.

View attachment 73943

That’s interesting! Triggers a bit of vertigo in my brain, though.
Gives me an idea for some variations with baltic birch left over from some cabinet work I did. My policy is any wood untouched for 10 years is game for experimentation! I save WAY too much for “just in case,”

JKJ

 

[robo hippy]

I have turned some different plywoods, including a chunk of laminated beam. There was a "color ply" that was probably better suited for pens, and herring bone patterns of colored poplar wood. It was not cheap... There is "apple ply" made in the USA, supposedly "as American as apple pie". The most interesting pieces I have seen were soccer ball patterns, 32 pieces of pentagons and hexagons, and when turned, each piece/panel showed as concentric rings. As said, the glue is harder than the wood. The laminated beam was the worst....

robo hippy

 

[Tim Hunter]

Here’s the 45 year old lamp I mention up thread.


I was about 15 when I made it.

Tim

 

[Alan Weinberg]

Here’s a plywood and carved piece from my personal collection, artist Gary Sanders.

 

[JeffSmith]

Here’s a plywood and carved piece from my personal collection, artist Gary Sanders.View attachment 74261

That is spectacular…thanks for posting. Was that a custom glue up or plywood spaced with veneers?

 

[Alan Weinberg]

That is spectacular…thanks for posting. Was that a custom glue up or plywood spaced with veneers?

Evidently, per his website: https://www.garysanderswoodart.com/recent-works